Is Tea Better Than Water for Hydrating?
Spring is officially here, soon enough you will be basking in the warming sun. With the change in the months, the truth is that dehydration is more of a common thing. Instead of water, the question I have is, could tea be as hydrating as water? So let's look into this conundrum and see if at the end of the blog we can tell you that tea is hydrating.
What is dehydration?
Dehydration simply put, means your body loses more fluids than you put in. The symptoms of dehydration you might already know off are feeling thirsty, dizziness and tiredness, getting lightheaded or feeling faint. The less commonly known symptoms are strong, yellow and ammonia smelling pee!
According to the NHS, you should be drinking at least two litres of fluid a day, that’s equivalent to eight glasses (237ml) of water a day which is quite a lot.
So the first drink you think of to get hydrated is water. Let's be fair, that is as exciting as watching Chris Whitty explain something - all you want while listening is a wish or a prayer for anything else.
The worst drinks to have are the ones that contain high levels of protein or alcohol and even caffeine. But good old tea is just basically hot water, isn't it? Is tea a drink that can rehydrate you? The NHS website, recommends having a cup of tea with your friends. There is hope.
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is in essence a natural stimulant and one of the most used things in the food and drinks world. It works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system, helping you stay alert and prevent the onset of tiredness. While there are more or less often negative connotations, there are health benefits to having caffeine.
Caffeine is absorbed from your gut into your blood, travelling to your liver and broken down so affects various organs in your body. The main effect is actually on your brain. It stops neurotransmitters that tell your body you are tired. These build up over the day. It also increases your blood adrenaline levels and brain activity giving a state of focus and arousal and alertness.
Is tea healthier than water?
So if tea is potentially hydrating and has a bit of caffeine in it to give the drinker a little boost, is tea healthier than water? Research has been shown from work on a European journal of clinical nutrition and UK nutritionist, says tea can also protect you against heart disease and cancers.
Tea as a drink is a very good source of flavonoids that are used as antioxidants, a commonly known thing is that tea does provide you with many antioxidants. This is exactly what health experts around the world believe is the key ingredient in a cup of tea that promotes health. They have been shown to prevent cell damage.
Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, looked at published studies on the health and long-lasting effects of tea drinking and hydration.
Clear evidence is found, that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack. Some studies also suggested tea consumption protects against cancer, although this effect was less clear-cut. Other than that, there are even some health benefits including protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.
R Ruxton said: "Drinking tea is better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so it's got two things going for it." Tea is rehydrating. She said it was an urban myth that tea is dehydrating. "Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid.
So based on these industry experts and professionals it concludes that tea is hydrating and it can give your immunity a massive boost and provide other long-lasting medical benefits to your health.
The right stuff?
So if tea is a drink that can be drunk to hydrate you instead of dehydrating what tea would be best for this? We think the answer is herbal tea. This is because herbal teas are natural teas, made from herbs, spices and other plant materials. They are packed with health benefits and are often used as wellness teas. Our herbal teas use only the finest ingredients to create a refreshing tea. They are all-natural and caffeine-free so know when it comes to getting the most hydration you can get these teas are the ones for you. If you would like to see our range of herbal teas please just click here.
Green tea is also a good option as it is associated with a wide range of health benefits, making it not only a hydrating beverage but one that can give a boost to your overall health. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, green tea may help lower your risk of heart disease as well as reduce your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
So even though tea does have some caffeine in it and even though caffeine does dehydrate, it is only a small amount of caffeine. Tea is a drink, like water, that can keep you hydrated.
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